1. Technical Field
This invention relates to detecting events in a virtual world. More specifically, the invention relates to evaluating population density and changes in population density in the virtual world to detect events.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment that enables users to inhabit and interact with other users. In the virtual world, a computer user's self representation is known as an avatar. This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users. The virtual world being computer-simulated typically appears similar to the real world, with real world rules such as gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication. Recently communication has been in the form of text, and is evolving to real-time voice communication using voice over internet protocol (VOIP).
Virtual worlds are well-known as being fantasy spaces sealed off from the real world. In the virtual world, residents create an identity, meet people, etc. Each resident in the virtual world is known as a second life. In one embodiment, the virtual world with its residents can be thought of as a massive multi-player online role playing game. It is known that real world companies use the virtual world to introduce new products, and use the feedback received in the virtual world for introduction of products in the real world. Accordingly, the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds are quite porous.
Participants constantly arrive and depart from the virtual world, carrying with them their unique set of behavioral assumptions and attitudes that cannot be disentangled from their interactions in the virtual world. The number of users that participate in virtual worlds is expected to increase in the future. An increase in the virtual world is envisioned to be more difficult to find events in which a user wants to participate. One method of detecting events or locales for participants is by listing the areas where people are virtually gathered. However, this method does not detect the virtual locales before they become popular, nor does it detect locales that are in the process of being vacated.
Based upon the cross-over between the real world and the virtual world, there is a need to assess behavior in the virtual world, as this may impact behavior in the real world. The example of product introduction discussed above is a benign cross-over between the two worlds. However, there may be cross-over activities between the two worlds that are dangerous. As in the real world, it is advantageous to predict dangerous activities before the damage emanating from the activities occurs. Accordingly, there is a need to monitor and evaluate places of interest in the virtual world as the interest is developing and prior to conclusion of activities associated with the places of interest.